3 Ways to Uncover Your True Self

Seek Solitude

The false self lives for others; the true self is more likely to emerge when you're alone. Arrange a stretch of unstructured time—a long walk or a solitary sit in a quiet place—and see what bubbles up. Or try meditation, a time-honored way of both disciplining and opening up the mind. Habitual thoughts tend to choke awareness; banishing them by means of meditation allows something new to happen inside you. (To learn more, see Daniel Goleman's book The Meditative Mind: The Varieties of Meditative Experience.)